Bridging the Gap

Background

When the historic Longfellow Bridge connecting Boston and Cambridge MA needed rehabilitation, a local Boston contractor partnered with ATS Equipment, a long time ICS® distributor to get the job done efficiently and accurately.

The challenge

This bridge built in 1908 handles 28,000 vehicles per day along with 90,000 transit users on the MBTA Red Line and a large number of pedestrians and bicyclists. Several factors have contributed to the deterioration of the bridge including weather, pollution and increased traffic. Block openings needed to be cut in the 24” thick granite substructure to update the utilities that run below the bridge. The contractor’s original equipment only cut 20” deep, which brought the work to a slow, agonizing crawl.

The solution

ATS Equipment stepped in and provided the ICS® hydraulic power saw set up with 25” ProForce™ chains and P110 power pack, These tools allowed the contractor to cut all the way through the granite blocks from one side, with no overcuts, minimizing any additional damage to the historic structure.

The result

With the ICS saw, production immediately increased from three to nine openings per day. That’s good news for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and even better for the commuters who use that bridge daily.